Happy 2018

Hello, and happy new year.  I thought I would update where I left off....a very long time ago.  I just reread my last post about the kitchen and noted that I mentioned wanting a new, more industrial, faucet.

 

 I put this one in about a year ago and am loving it!  As always, I researched for months in order to find the right one.  I saw one like this in a kitchen in Southern California.

It was oversized and beautiful.  However, when I used it, it felt light, almost like plastic.  I knew I didn't want that.  This one is heavy, 9 pounds, and substantial feeling.  It finishes the kitchen....exactly the way I have wanted it to look. 

  It is Geyser GF51S Geyser Stainless Steel Commercial Style Coiled Spring Kitchen Pull Out Faucet. I bought it from Amazon for $175.  I wanted it to be big and imposing.  This one fits the space at 18.5" tall.  I have used it for a year with no problems and it cleans easily.  If you read the reviews on Amazon several of them say the same thing.  Plumbers note, as did mine, that they have installed faucets at 5 times the price that were not as well made.  I highly recommend this faucet! (ps I have no affiliation with either Geyser or Amazon)

Since kitchen design is something I absolutely love, I plan to bring you posts featuring several of my friends' newly remodeled kitchens over the course of the next few months.  They....are.....spectacular!! I cannot wait!  

Thanks for visiting!

Michele

New year…back to sewing

Happy New Year!!

I always write the same thing this time of year.  I love it because of the hopefulness if offers.  I think that you can see it in people's faces and feel it in their actions if you pay attention.  Maybe it's just me, but I look forward to the new year almost as much as Christmastime.  

I have spent most of the past year baking; building, slowly but surely, the cupcake company.  Therefore, I have spent very few hours at the sewing machine.  Last weekend I had a break and decided to make this table slip for the chest that we use as a coffee table in our living room.  I adore anything scalloped.  Please note that this is far from perfect…as is everything I do.  I would change about ten details about it, including the method I used to create the scalloping.   But it was my first time and definitely is a start.

I used a drop cloth, which I have never worked with before.  I am reasonably pleased with it.  Admittedly, I am spoiled though, as I have worked with nothing but vintage as well as new linens for the last four years. 

 Next I am going to make a fitted table cloth out of white linen.  This time I will use a different process to create the scallops though. Hopefully it will look a little better.

  

Also, a customer of mine ordered a grain sack euro sham.  I didn't have any in stock so made this one for her.  I am thrilled with how it turned out!!  I hope she likes it as well.  

These sacks are usually 18-23" in width.  So I had to add side panels to accommodate the a euro insert.  

I love that I was able to keep the original ties intact.  Also, I like that the stripes are navy while the monogram is sort of French blue.  

Enjoy your day

Michele

Merry Christmas

I hope that you are enjoying your holiday season.  It is my favorite time of year.  I made my Christmas cards again.  I will post a copy of them next week.  It always surprises me.  Although they are very simple, they take time. 

My daughter took these first three photos while we decorated the tree.  I have always wanted a very large tree.  This year, at 10 feet, I could not get it up to the apartment alone. :)

I try to make my wrapping unique as I do my cards.  

I saw a tutorial for the pom poms last night on Pinterest.  I love them and want to make a garland of them for next year.  

My mantle inspired by my friend Carrie.

I love the angels.  They stay up all year long.  

And my favorite new decoration, which coincidentally were a gift from the same person who inspired the mantle decor.  Aren't they great?  Can you see the glitter?  They come in three graduated sizes from West Elm.  

I wish you a wonderful holiday season.  

Merry Christmas!!

Michele

Updates to Kitchen Remodel

I know, I know.  I don't post for months and then twice in a week.  I have honestly been meaning to update the recent kitchen photos for a while now.  

Here is where I left off. 

Old range

Wood countertops had a great smell, very light in color

No hardware

In the last few months I have added a few finishing touches.  I really like the hardware that I chose.  I saw these Ikea oversized pulls/handles on a blog and loved them.  

The other element which needed updating was the range.  I felt that a stainless steel one would tie it together.  It was a very generous birthday/christmas gift from my parents!

 

The other change that you will notice is that the countertops are darkening with time.  Ok...not just time.  I am fairly diligent about oiling them.  I love the way they are changing.  I would like them to be a bit darker and shinier.  However, I have resisted the urge to stain and seal them.   

Since I opened the cupcake company I really am going to need a more functional/industrial faucet.  I do like the look of this one though.

The other thing that you will notice about this kitchen is that there are no appliances, gadgets, nick knacks....etc.  I saw a phrase once on pinterest that expressed how I feel perfectly.  "It's a kitchen...not a catch all." In a large space I think it is fine but when your kitchen is as tiny as mine is, it just makes it feel smaller and cluttered.  

I always have fresh flowers framing the sink.  I like the pop of color against the otherwise white kitchen.  

Thanks for stopping by

Enjoy your weekend

Michele

Gateaux

Hello! 

I hope that you are all doing well.  I have been out of touch recently pursuing a new endeavor.  As you may know I have been making cakes and cupcakes for a few years.  I have been asked over and over again if I sell them commercially.  I always brushed it off.  I would often take a cake to an

 event as my hostess gift.  They routinely had polka dots in the middle of them and were finished with fondant.  The time requirement to make these is huge....but well worth it.  

This was my Easter cake from last year

However, in January I decided to use the same recipe and make cupcakes for a friend's birthday.  She was one of the biggest fans of the cakes.  When I presented her with the cupcakes she exclaimed, "They are beautiful, where did you get them?"  That evening my daughter sat me down and said that I should seriously look into opening a business.  

As I was going to sleep I decided to do a bit of research.  I knew that there were many rules and regulations around cooking in a residential kitchen and selling commercially.  Interestingly enough, I found out that the previous January " the Cottage Food Bill" was enacted in California allowing some low risk foods to be made and distributed in this fashion.  In early February I set a goal of opening my small, custom order cupcake business on March 1st.  As there were many licenses and certifications to obtain, along with the normal hoops to jump through, it was not an easy process.  But I did it!  

Gateaux has been open just shy of two months.  I am having a great time with it.  Here are some of my creations for customers thus far.  

Monogrammed vanilla 

Shamrocks for an Irish friend's birthday party

Shamrock confetti on lemon cupcakes with raspberry lemon frosting

Vanilla with salted caramel filling and sea salt flakes on top

Hand punched fondant confetti

Owls for my daughter's friend

Gerbera daisies

Crab feed treats

Blue and green (my favorite color combo)

Princess party

Last but certainly not least, the ones I am the most proud of...

Striped bows and polka dots for a baby shower

Thanks for visiting

I will keep you updated as Gateaux grows and I have new creations to share with you 

Michele

Cupcake toppers

Happy Presidents Day weekend to you!

I have been working lately on my cupcakes and the decorations that adorn them. I thought about making confetti out of fondant.  Time consuming is the first thing that came to my mind.  But as always I think that the extra effort pays off.  And to be honest, I don't put a lot on a cupcake so a little confetti goes a long way.  

I will be taking cupcakes to a few wedding showers soon.  I saw these glittery hearts on pinterest and so made a few.  

These would also work for a shower

Got a little crazy with the confetti.  I returned to office max after buying the regular hole punch to get the heart version. The tiny ones are from that, whereas the larger ones were cut with a fondant cutter (mini cookie cutter).

And my washi tape obsession continues

No offering of cupcakes is complete without a good cookies and cream frosting atop it.

And I added this one to show that presentation can be as simple as a little lemon zest

I believe that presentation matters which is why I put effort into that aspect of my cupcakes.  

I hope you all are enjoying this long weekend.  So nice to have 3 days to play!!

Michele